Apparatus for treating strands



O 8. 1940- w. c. EWALDSON ET AL 2,217,337

APPARATUS ro n TREATING STRANDS Filed Sept. 3, 1938 INVENTORS mc. EWALDSON H. ARESS fRnsuL-M ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 8, 1940 2,217,337

APPARATUS FOR TREATING STRANDS Waldemar C. Ewaldson, Millington, and Heinz Kress, North Plainfield, N. J., assignors to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 3, 1938, Serial No. 228,352

2 Claims. (01. 91-31) This invention relates to apparatus for treating strands and more particularly to apparatus for treating electrical conductor strands sheathed and treated with textile material, with a solunection with the accompanying drawing in which the same reference numerals are applied to identical parts in the several figures, and in which Fig. 1 is a View in front elevation of an appation of cellulose acetate or the like in a solratus constructed in accordance with the inven- 6 vent such as acetone or the like. tion and having parts of the housing broken away Textile covered wire has been treated in the to show the interior mechanism;

past with many difierent liquid substances to Fig. 2 is an enlarged detached broken view of coat or impregnate or to impregnate and coat the lower end of the machine, also in front ele- 0 the textile sheathing with various substances .vation; either in molten condition or dissolved in a vola- Fig. 3 is a plan view of the showing of Fig. 2; tile solvent. It is especially desirable in some Fig. 4 is a view in end elevation of the convex cases to impregnate and coat the textile covroller die assembly in place. 1 ered wire with cellulose acetate dissolved in ace- Fig. 5 is a detached plan view of the convex tone to improve both the electrical and me- Wiper die roller assembly. 15 chanical characteristics of the insulating coat- The apparatus herein disclosed as an embodiing. Since the solvent in this case as well as merit of the invention is constructed with parin other similar cases is volatile, inflammable ticular reference to the coating of textile covand may be injurious to health, it is necessary cred wire with a solution of cellulose acetate to provide an apparatus in which the coating in acetone. The apparatus comprises avertically 20 process may be carried on continuously and rapextended housing 20, conveniently of rectangular idly in an enclosed space. It is desirable that cross section and mounted upon any convenient the container or housing within which the coatand suitablebase member 2! to be elevated someing is done shall be small in dimensions in order what above the floor. A supply reel diagramthat all parts may be conveniently accessible for matically illustrated at 22 contains a supply of 25 adjustment, cleaning, repair or the like. strand 23 to be coated. and a take-up reel 24 An object of the present invention is to prosimilarly located is used to take 'up-fthe coated vide an apparatus for treating strands with liq- I strand emerging from the apparatus. The reels uid material which shall be reliable and safe in 22 and 24 may be mounted and the reel 24 driven operation and shall be compactly constructed and in any suitable and appropriate manner. Such .30 arranged. mounting and driving means are well known in One embodiment of the invention may present the various arts that deal with the treating and an upright vertically extended housing of relahandling of strands and it is not believed necestively small horizontal dimensions comprising a sary for the understanding of this invention to tank or reservoir in its bottom end to contain a describe or show them in detail here. 35 supply of the liquid coating material, and having The strand 23 passes from the reel 22 up along individual means respectively to contain a supthe outside of the housing 20 and over a guide ply of strand to be treated, to guide the strand sheave 25 also outside of the housing. Thence into and out of the bath of liquid, to guide the it passes through an appropriate small aperture strand during the drying procedure in a tortu-' in the housing (not shown) behind the sheave 25 40 ous path to and fro within the housing, to wipe and over another guide sheave 26 Within the off surplus coating material from the stand and housing. Thence the Strand passes v r n nc compact the coating material on the strand, to or more around a capstan 2?, from which it propel or advance the strand through the appasses down and under a pail Of p y T V d pa -aims and to take up the coated strand at the sheaves 29 located below the surface of the coat- 45 end of the operation, together with auxiliary ing mat ri l contained in the bottom portion means to assist in threading the strand through of the housing which is formed as a tank to hold a the apparatus preparatory to operation, to presuitable supply of the liquid coating material. vent the formation of knots of coating material From the second guide sheave or roller Z-S'the .30 on the strand, and to prevent actuation of the strand 23 pass p ard between the first of a apparatus unless all parts are in suitable operating relation to each other.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear from the following detailed description of one embodiment thereof taken in congang of convex wi .er die rollers 3| and the corresponding one'of a gang of matched concave wiper die rollers 32 Thence the strand passes on to-and again around the capstan 2'! and thence to and over one of the sheaves of a multiple sheave 35. From the sheave 35 the strand passes in succession over a number of similar multiple sheaves 36, 31, 38, 39 and 40 and back around capstan. Thence the strand passes down and again under the submerging guide sheaves 29 in the liquid supply tank and thence upwardly between the second pair of wiper die rollers 3| and 32. The strand then passes over and around the capstan, over the second sheave of the multiple sheave 35, and thence again over the guide sheaves 3B, 31, 38 and 40 and to the capstan. It is carried again down into the bath, through the wiper dies, around the capstan, and through the tortuous drying path as many times as found to be necessary to produce the desired thickness of coating material on the strand. On the last pass, the strand passes between an independent pair of wiper die rollers 42 and 43.

The structure and operation of the multiple sheaves 35, 36, 31, 38, 39 and 48 and of the capstan 2'! are no part of the present invention but are described in'detail and claimed in copending applications Serial Nos. 228,353 and 228,354, filed by the same inventors -on the same date as this application.

The particular subject of the present invention is the construction and mode of operation of the wiper dies more particularly disclosed in detail in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5. Turning now to Fig. 3 first, the rear wall of the housing is formed to the left of its center with a pair of vertical slots within which are secured two Vertically grooved guide members 48 and 49. A vertically disposed plate-like base member 50 is formed and dimensioned to slide in the slots of the members 48 and 49. Near the top of the basemember 50 is a horizontal forwardly extending integral table 5|, to the under-side of which, at its right hand edge and near the front and back edges, are secured two rightwardly and downwardly curved arms 52 and 53. In these arms, at their lower ends, is journalled a shaft 54 upon which are rigidly mounted the several concave wiper die members 32, 32, 43 to be driven in rotation by the shaft 54. At the forward end of the shaft 54 there is secured a gear 55 which is driven by suitable gearing from a motor 56. On top of the table 5| there is mounted a handle 57 by means of which the table 5| and the base member 50 may be drawn upwardly and removed from the tank together with the concave dies 32 and 43. A latch 58 may also be mounted on the table 5| if desired to lock the member-50 andtherewith the whole assembly in operating position to prevent it from being moved out of place by the tension of the strands passing over the sheaves 29, the sheaves 29 being also preferably mounted on members 59 mounted on or integral with the table 5|.

In the right hand portion of the rear wall of the housing 20 a second vertical plate-like supporting member 50 is rigidly mounted. A horizontal arm 3| integral with the member 60 extends out nearly across the tank from the base member 63. On the left hand face of the arm B| are secured two guide members 62 and 63 presenting vertical channels into which fit a vertical removable plate 64. The plate 64 is formed with a horizontal arm 65 extending out to the left and bifurcated at its extremity. The outer ends of the bifurcations are formed with journals 66 and 61 for horizontal shaft 68. A horizontal plate-like member 69. has at its forward and rear extremities depending arms 70 and 7| pivotally secured on the shaft 6-8 and extending below the shaft 63 and there provided with journals l2 and 13 to receive a rotatable shaft I4 upon which are rigidly secured the convex wiper die rollers 3|. A separate narrow horizontal plate 16 located in front of the plate 69 is also pivoted on the shaft 63 and carries in its lower portion a stub shaft upon which the wiper die roller 42 is rigidly secured. The removable base member 64 may be conveniently formed on its upper edge with a handle for lifting the member .64 and the assembly carried by it when it is desired to move the wiper die rollers 42 and 3| from the bath. To the under-side of the plate 39 is secured one end of a tension spring 15, the other end of which is attached to a lug formed on the lower part of the member 64. Similarly a tension spring 18 is attached at its upper end to the under-side of the right hand part of the member E6 and to a'lug 19 similar to the lug H1. The springs 15 and TI tend to draw the right hand parts of the members 55 and T6 downwardly and thus press the convex wiper die rollers 42 and 3| respectively and independently against the corresponding rigidly positioned die rollers 43 and 32. gear 55, which is driven from the motor 56 and which drives the shaft 54 also mesheswith a gear 80 rigidly mounted on the shaft which supports the die roller 42 and thus drives this roller. At the rear end of the shaft 54 is a gear 8| rigidly secured to the shaft 54 and meshing with a gear 82 rigidly secured on the shaft 74 and thus serving to drive the convex die rollers 3|. A member 83 is pivotally mounted on the arm 6| so that the for manual manipulation of the latch while a spring 83 tends to hold the latch in the locked position.

A circular cam 81 is pivotally secured in the aperture 88 of the arm 6| to lie under the extended right hand extremities of the members 69 and 16 and is operated by means of a lever 89 attached thereto. The cam 81 is a simple circular wedge so formed that when the lever 89 is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3, the right hand extensions of the members 69 and flare over the thin part of the wedge and so arefree to move downwardly under the tension of springs 75 and 13 to keep the convex die rollers pressed against the concave die rollers; but when the lever 89 is turned to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the right hand extremities of the members 69 and T6 are lifted and held up by the thick part of the wedge-like cam, thus retracting the convex rollers 42 and 3| from contact with the concave rollers 43 and 32 and locking the convex rollers in the retracted position when it is desired to remove the member 64 and its assembly from the bath.

The-

eter which may be due to enlargements caused by splices in the wire under the textile covering or to knotted threads in the covering or other causes. When such enlargements pass between any of the-wiper dies 3| and its corresponding wiper die 32 coming up from the bath 30, the die 3| can yield by pivoting about the shaft 63 against the spring 15 to allow the enlargement to pass between the dies. If the die 42 were on the-same rigid shaft with the dies 3| then each time that the-dies 3| were forced away from the die 32 by an enlargement in the strand the die 42 would also back away from the die 43 and thus permit an unwiped enlargement to be formed in the final coating of the wire which would not be smoothed down by subsequent passage between a pair of wiper dies. And since a splice or other knot in the strand would pass through between the dles 3| and 32 as many times as there are pairs of these dies a single knot would thus produce an equivalent number of lumps on the finished coating if it were not for the independent mounting of the die 42.

While the illustrative embodiment herein disclosed is specifically disclosed for one type of strand and one type of liquid coating material the invention is not so limited but is to be thought of as limited solely by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a strand treating apparatus, a housing, a shaft mounted in the housing, a plurality of wiper die rollers mounted on the shaft to be driven thereby, a base member removably secured to the housing, a second shaft having a plurality of wiper die rollers mounted thereon to enact respectively with the rollers of the first named plurality, means to mount the second shaft on the base member to be movable thereon toward and from the first shaft to bring the rollers of the second plurality into and out of contact with the corresponding rollers of the first plurality, resilient means to press the second shaft yieldingly toward the first shaft, and cam means to force the second shaft away from the first shaft when the member is to be removed from the housing.

2. In a. strand treating apparatus, a housing, a door in the housing, a shaft mounted in the housing, a plurality of wiper die rollers mounted on the shaft to be driven thereby, a base member removably secured to the housing, a second shaft having a plurality of wiper die rollers mounted thereon to coact respectivelywith the rollers of the first named plurality, means to mount the second shaft on the base member to be movable thereon toward and from the first shaft to bring the rollers of the second plurality into and out of contact with the corresponding rollers of the first plurality, resilient means to press the second shaft yieldingly toward the first shaft, cam means to force the second shaft away from the first shaft when the member is to be removed from the housing, and a lever to actuate the cam means and formed to extend when in cam actuating position into the path of the door and thereby to prevent closing of the door when the second shaft is held away from the first shaft by the cam means.

WALDEMAR C. EWALDSON. HEINZ KRESS. 

